Team Leopard-Trek

Andy Schleck, Jens Voight, and several other riders from Team Leopard-Trek are here to contest the Tour of California. There is definitely a somber mood surrounding the riders, following the death of their teammate Wouter Weylandt in the Giro D'Italia. Andy Schleck (above) seems particularly distant from the fans and the media attention, compared to last year when he was all smiles and very accessible.

Jens Voigt was his usual, affable self though. He conducted several interviews before each stage and spent a lot of time posing for pictures with fans. No wonder why everyone loves Jens!

Still, the team is here to race, and they are carrying on as best they can. Linus Gerdemann (above) was in the mix for the sprint on Stage 1 in Sacramento.

The team has brought a number of young riders here to get experience in preparation for the Tour de France and other stage races to be held throughout the summer.  It is doubtful that a guy like Stefan Denifil (above) will make the Tour de France squad, but a good showing here might help his chances to get on for the Vuelta or the Tour of Switzerland.  He actually had a pretty good scare on Stage 5 when he crashed pretty dramatically. But, he survived it relatively unscathed and was able to finish the race. More on that here: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/denifl-escapes-with-only-cuts-and-bruises-after-dramatic-crash-on-stage-five

Here is a picture from Cyclingnews of his Stage 5 crash. Whoa!! That is the Leopard-Trek team car nearly running him over!

Many of the teams are choosing to remember Wouter Weylandt in their own way. Team Radio Shack are all carrying stickers memorializing Wouter on their bikes (WW 108). This one is on Haimar Zubeldia's Trek Madone.

Team Leopard-Trek had some nice looking Madones of their own. The one on the outside belongs to Martin Pedersen. That is a really small frame with a really big crank!!

Here is Jakob Fugslang giving it everything on the climb up to the summit of Sierra Road on Stage 3. Andy Schleck had already passed by with Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner. Shortly after they passed us, Horner dropped them both to solo for the win and take a commanding lead on the GC.